Gen. 3:1-11 WHERE ART THOU? 2-16-13
Today our thought is to do with "where are we" in our relationship with God.
In our text today we'll see that Satan used the serpent as his means and way to communicate with Eve.
Adam and Eve were at the beginning innocent of all sin, they were not "saved" they had nothing to be saved from as yet, they were at the beginning "safe" they had never been exposed to sin before, they were ignorant of the devices of Satan thus far.
God, because He is God knew that our 1st parents would sin, and so He had already made a way that fallen man could be redeemed ever before there was man or sin.
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>> 1 Peter 1:18 -- 20 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation *(way of living) received by tradition from your fathers; 19But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, --
So Adam and Eve certainly were not created as yet, nothing had yet been created, but in the foreknowledge of God He already knew.
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>> Ephesians 1: 4-5 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, --
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* Satan did not come to Eve looking like something that she should be afraid of, why should she be afraid? She had never seen any thing dangerous or harmful in her life time thus far, and let me say that we're not told how much time had passed before the things here in chapter three of Geneses took place.
We'll read that the serpent was very intelligent, he was more subtle.
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One man said that Gen. 3: is the pivot of the Bible, he points out that if we read chapters 1 & 2 and then skipped chapter 3 and start again in chapter 4 through 11 finding wickedness is abounding, we'd be totally confused, because in Genesis 1 and 2 we find man in innocence; everything is perfect, and there is fellowship between God and man.
So the question is: Where did it all come from? Where did it begin? Where did sin originate? As far as man is concerned, it begun in chapter 3: of Gen.
So Gen. 3: is very important as to understanding how sin come about.
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Satan has had over 6000 years in dealing with man, he knows every weakness we have, but his three methods of temptation are the same, we'll see that he used all three in dealing with Eve.
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>> 1 Corinthians 10: 13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: -- it's a common thing, nothing new, he may use a different approach on some people, but the temptations still come the same way, in one, two or in all three avenues.
* Listen as I read to you the three avenues of temptation.
>> 1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
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* Listen as I read our text found in Gen.3:1-11.
Gen. 3:1-11 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made.
* Satan had entered the serpent and was using it; it was not created to be able to talk; only man had the ability to speak, the devil was doing it.
>>Rev. 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan,
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And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
Let me remind us, that when God gave His commandment to Adam about not partaking of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil back in Gen. 2:16-17 , Eve was not yet made, Eve received her instructions from Adam about what God had said, did Adam explain the importance of obeying God,? Did Adam give Eve God's exact words? I'm sure that Adam didn't comprehend the full results of his disobedience at that time, who could have?
Let's not be too hard on Eve, after all we read that Adam was there with her when she partook of the forbidden fruit, why didn't he stop her? I don't think he really could understand all that was now on its way as for as what the human race was in for.
It's much the same way that people today think about "HELL", we know it's a horrible place, but I'm sure that we don't really realize just how horrible it is.
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2And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it; neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
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Instead of turning away, Eve began to talk with the serpent; she didn't realize that the serpent was her enemy; she knew nothing about enemies, nothing about lying and the sort.
The serpent suggests to Eve that she is confined by her position of trusting God.
We notice here that Eve adds to Gods words "neither shall you touch it" and she even suggest that it might bring about death, the truth was that they would surly die. "Not lest ye die."
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4And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
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The method of temptation used by Satan established a pattern according to which he would deal with man from then on.
(1st) Questioning God, casting doubt on the word of God. Satan is powerless without man's consent.
>> James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
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(2ndly) Contradicting God, denying His word outright is the result of questioning Gods Word.
(3rdly) Surpassing God's word is brought about by imagining that good will come above and beyond what God has offered. But wrong can never produce right.
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* Listen to the 3 avenues of Eve's temptation:
6And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
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"The lust of the flesh"--that is, the tree was good to eat. "The lust of the eyes"--the tree was good to look at. "The pride of life"--the tree was to be desired to make one wise.
Eve had now fallen into sin. She had followed the three inevitable steps that lead to sin: (1) sight; (2) desire; and (3) gratification.
After Eve saw the forbidden fruit, she desired it, and then partook of it, she gave also unto her husband with her: and he did eat, the final step on the path to sin is the involvement of others in our sin. Our sin always affects others.
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This is the exact method of temptation that Satan brought to the Lord Jesus in the wilderness in Matt. 4: and Lk.4:
>First of all, he said to the Lord Jesus, "Make these stones into bread"-- this was the appeal to the flesh, remember Jesus had not eaten for 40 days and nights.
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>Then Satan tried to get Jesus to jump off the pinnacle of the temple.
This was to do with pride, show one and all.
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>> Then Satan showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and offered them to Him if He'd worship him this was the appeal to the eyes.
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He uses the same tactics on us today, and the reason that he still uses them is that they work. He hasn't needed to change his tactics.
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7And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
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Notice; they "made themselves" works of their own hands, man it seems is still the same today, a lot of folk believe that some way or another they can straighten their sinfulness out themselves, turn over a new leaf and the like.
>> Prov. 14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
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Adam and Eve had no problem being naked before, but now since they had sinned, they tried a man made method or remedy to hind their guilt, now they had a conscience.
Shame is the appropriate emotional attitude for people who have deliberately violated God's commands and ignored His purposes.
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8And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.
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I suppose at times we might wish we could hind our actions from God but that's impossible.
>>Psalm 139: 7-12 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? 8If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. 9If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; 10Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.
11If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. 12Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.
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>>Proverbs 15: 3 The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.
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>>Hebrews 4:13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
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9And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? 10And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.
11And He said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?
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God knew ever thing that had happened, He even knew that it was going to happen, but here God is giving the man Adam an opportunity to confess his sin.
All over the world people are trying to hide from God -- to hide behind excuses for not loving Him and for not serving Him.
This question is the first one recorded that God ever asked of man and it is the first question He puts to individual men and women today.
* Where art thou? -- In other words, what is your spiritual condition?
The sin of our 1st parents has affected the entire human race, no one is exempt.
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>>Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
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>>Romans 3: 23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
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* The God to whom we must give account asks, "Where are thou?"
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Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
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If you're not prepared to meet God, then I beg you to be saved today while you still can.
>>Hebrews 10:31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
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"Where are thou?"
* In this three-word question there is a three-fold proof of God's love.
1. He proves His love to us in that He dealt with Adam's sin -- He did not overlook it or condone it.
2. His love is proven in that He promised to send a Savior.
Gen.3:15 -- there He promises to send the Saviour, the seed of the woman.
Who was the Lord Jesus Christ, the Redeemer.
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>>Galatians 4:4-6 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. 6And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
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3. God also proved His love in the provision that He made for the nakedness of His children Adam and Eve.
Genesis 3:21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.
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An innocent animal had to die, it gave its life, it shed its blood in order for Adam and Eve to have a God given remedy provided for their shame and nakedness, this was the 1st picture of 'THE LAMB OF GOD" that was to come.
I believe that we that are saved will one day meet Adam and Eve, along with all the O.T. Saints.
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* "Where art thou?" -- are you "in Adam" or "in Christ"
There are only two creations -- the old and the new.
Adam is the head of the old creation, but the Lord Jesus is the head of the new creation.
All who belong to the old Adamic creation are spiritually dead and doomed.
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When Jesus came it was to live the life that we have failed to live, to die the death that we deserved to die, and to rise again as the head of a new creation. >>2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
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"Where art thou?" -- In Adam or in Christ?
